The Enemy

Sun Tzu, a successful Chinese general from the fifth century B.C., once said, “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

It doesn’t pay to be naive about the enemy. This is true whether you are thinking about scouting the opponent in preparation for a basketball game, fighting a war, or negotiating a troubled relationship. This is especially true when it comes to our spiritual battles.

Paul says, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:11-12). Don’t be naïve. Know your enemy.